Our alumni hold positions as performers, administrators, educators, business leaders, and proud Leathernecks across the country.
View the images below to see how our alumni are serving others and bettering their communities.
Are you a WIU School of Music alumnus?
Music Therapy
For more information please visit the Music Therapy Website
- Jennifer Swan Merth, 1983, Business Owner, Illinois Music Therapy Services, Princeton, IL
- Hyun Ju Chong, 1993, Professor, Ewha Woman's University, Seoul, Korea
- Jennifer Rook, 2005, Executive Director of the Institute for Therapy through the Arts, Chicago, IL
- Elizabeth Klinger, 2004, Music Therapist, Ann & Robert Lurie Children's Hospital, Chicago, IL
- Allison Gunnink, 2010, Associate Team Director & Charles Evans, 2016, Music Therapist, Seasons Hospice and Palliative Care, Des Plaines, IL
- Cassandra Nickell, 2011, Program Manager, Roitenberg Family Adult Day Center, Minneapolis, MN
- Katey Kamerad, 2012, Business OwnerCo-Owner, Music Therapy Connections, Springfield, IL
- Amanda Neira, 2011, Business Owner, Coachella Valley Music Therapy, Palm Desert, CA
- Jonathan Wilcoxen, 2013, Music Therapist, Austin State Hospital, Austin, TX
- Lizzie Saban, 2015, Music Therapist, Peace Hospice and Palliative Care, Chicago, IL
- Claire Distler, 2015, Music Therapist, EasterSeals Midwest, Ballwin, MO
- Abigail Landau, 2016, Music Therapist, Palm Beach Music Therapy Institute, Palm Beach, FL
- Hannah Becker, 2016, Music Therapist, Meaningful Day Services, Kokomo, IN
- Margaret Gawrysiak, 2003, Freelance Opera Singer, Seattle, WA
- Mia Iliopoulos, 2017, Activity Therapy/Music Therapy, Harvester Place, Burr Ridge, IL
- Denise Coovert, 2008, Music Therapy Clinical Trainer/Faculty, WIU, Macomb, IL
Music Education
For more information please visit the Music Education Website
- DJ Alstadt, 1999, Director of Bands, Naperville Ventral High School Bands, Naperville, IL
- Kyle Freesen, 2007, Director of Bands and Music Department Chair, Loveland High School in Loveland, CO & Brass Instructor, Battalion Drum & Bugle Corps, Salt Lake Music, UT
- Andrew Geyssens, 2011, Orchestra Director, Northeast Iowa School of Music, Dubuque, IA
- Keith Heim, 1999 & 2007, Band Director, West Wilson Middle School, TN
- Jonathan Zeng, 2005, Freelance Vocalist & Private Vocal Instructor, Chicago, IL
- Justin Heinekamp, 2009, Band Director, Sandwich High School, IL
- Rhonda Bull Hibbeler, 1995, Choir Director, Geneva Middle School, Geneva, IL
- Josh McGuire, 2000, Head Choir Director, Sachse High School, Sachse, TX
- Bernadette Gonzalez, 2003, Woodwind Repair Technician, Melk Music, Milwaukee, WI
- Reggie Thomas, 1988, Coordinator of Jazz Studies Program, Northern Illinois University, Dekalb, IL
- Frank J. Grzych, 1972 & 1979, Professor of Music and Chair, Department of Fine and Performing Arts at Texas A & M
- Aubrey Dunham Prince, 2008, Choir Director, Riverside-Brookfield High School, Riverside, IL
- Steve Scherer, 1985, Director of Bands, Geneseo High School, Geneseo, IL
- Quintin Shepherd, 1999 & 2003 & 2007, Superintendent, Linn-Mar Community School District, Marion, IA
- Brandon Williams, 2003, Assistant Professor of Choral Music and Choral Music Education at Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey & Composer/Arranger, Hal Leonard in the Henry Leck Creating Artistry Series and G. Schirmer
- Jason Hawkins, 2003, Assistant Professor of Choral Music Education, WIU, Macomb, IL
Music Business
For more information please visit the Music Business Website
- Craig Hahn, 1998, Director of Operations and Orchestra Personnel, Austin Symphony, Austin, TX
- Sam Page, 2003, Business Operations Analyst, BMI, Nashville, TN
- Jeremy Smith, 1994, CEO & President, Clearmusic, LLC, Nashville, TN
- Tony Lapsansky, 2009, Category Manager, Music & Arts, Washington, D.C.
- NicoleSeery Wetzell, 2006, Director of Sales, Chicago, IL
- Aly Jados, 2008, Vocalist/Guitarist, & Jeff Loerhrke, 2009, Guitarist, Blood People Chicago, IL
- Brandt Zimmerman, 2016, Project Manager, Babygrande Records, New York Music, NY
- Eric Yarbrough, 2001, Audio Visual Supervisor, Peoria Civic Center/SMG, Peoria, IL
- Sarah Smerz, 2008, Morning Show Co-Host, WFMB Radio, Springfield, IL
- Patrick Downing, 2009, Steinway Piano Consultant, West Music, Moline, IL
- Barbi Brewer-Watson, 2014, Executive Director, Kankakee Valley Symphony Orchestra, Kankakee, IL
- Montana Farrell, 2016, Marketing Manager, Quad Music Symphony Orchestra, Moline, IL
- Evan Esser, 2013, Event Coordinator & technical Director, Alder Theatre/River Center, Davenport, IA
- Barry Applewhite, 1988, Music Curriculum Supervisor, Milwaukee Public Schools, Milwaukee, WI
- David Kelley, 1993, Owner, Kelley Distribution, Fort Lauderdale, FL
- Julie Baker, 2005, Director of Development, WIU, Macomb, IL
Music Minors and Applied Study in Performance, Jazz Studies, and Composition
- Ric Furman, 1998, Freelance Opera Singer, Wiesbaden, Germany
- Grazzia Sagastume, 2012, Artist/Faculty, Omaha Conservatory of Music, Omaha, NE
- Aiveen Gallagher, 2012, Violist, Malta Philharmonic Orchestra, Floriana, Malta
- Amber Dean, 2010, Hornist, Orquesta Filarmónica de Jalisco, Jalisco, México
- Bethany Worrell, 2008, Freelance Vocalist, Boston, MA
- Jennifer Dugle Kummer, 1990, Studio Musician, Nashville String Machine, Nashville, TN
- Debra Sherrill Ward, 1991, Founding Member, Chamber Music Charleston, Charleston, SC
- Adrián Nájera-Coto, 2007, Principal Bass Trombonist, Orquesta Sinfónica UANL, Monterrey, Mexico
- Zsolt Sazbo, Artist/Faculty, West Carolina University, Cullowhee, NC
- JenniferWallis Siebenaler, 2006, Pianist/Singer, Bobby McKeys Dueling Piano Bar, National Harbor, MD
- Eric Lopez, 1995, Chief Musician, U.S. Navy Band, Washington, D.C.
- Josh Berman, 1998, cornetist/improviser/composer/music presenter, Chicago, IL
- Kimberly Kein, 2013, Piano Teacher/Pianist/Oboist/Organist, Noblesville, IN
- Jim Buennig, 2015, saxophonist/educator/recording artist Austin, TX
- Steve Kummer, 1994, Pianist, Nashville Jazz Orchestra, Nashville, TN
- Denver Murphy, 2010, Vocalist, U.S. air Force Band of Mid America, Scott Air Force Base, IL
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